929 



leaflet broadly cordate, excessively elongated at the point ; panicle 

 short, with single flowers, and large floral leaves. 



Except as regards the barren stem never rooting at its extremity, 

 R. suberectus, according to situation or exposure, is a very variable 

 plant. It only attains perfection in moist, shady places ; and where 

 moisture is wanting, though at first erect, the weak, barren shoot 

 trails upon the ground, or rests upon the low underwood, producing 

 numerous, but short, fasligiate bunches of flowers from the axils of 

 the old leaves. This is a form of growth, but can hardly be dis- 

 tinguished as a variety, and is represented in Rub. Germ. t. 2. When 

 the stem preserves its erect form the second year, the panicle is mo- 

 derately long, with leafy, corymbose branches, below more or less 

 hairy, almost unarmed ; the uppermost flowers single, alternate, on 

 long bracteated pedicels, overtopping the central flower. It is 

 remarkable that, in their progress towards fruiting, the upper flowers 

 spread out in an horizontal direction ; so that when the fruit is ma- 

 ture they present a far more fascicled aspect than they did originally. 

 Conspicuous, trifid, hairy bracts occur at their bases, becoming sim- 

 ple at the summit ; the calyces are hairy, patent even in fruit, seldom 

 more than semireflex ; petals white or pink, of a pretty appearance 

 when fully expanded ; the fruit is rather small, its drupes few, and 

 often presenting only dry, hard achenes, when half ripe of a bright 

 red colour, but, when succulent, mulberry-coloured, or at length 

 raven-black. 



It is only in the woods near the waterfalls of Wales, or on the 

 moist, bushy hills of Devonshire, that this species attains its perfection 

 of beauty, growing perfectly erect, producing conspicuous flowers, and, 

 in the var. umhrosus, becoming an ornamental shrub, from six to 

 eight feet high. The leaves are frequently very large, bright green, 

 and of a soft, silky appearance ; but the fruit is seldom succulent but 

 in moist, shady localities, and has but little flavour. 



Though generally accounted rare, this species has a wide range, 

 and, though perhaps more abundant in the North, grows finer and 

 most luxuriant in the South of England. Don mentions it as growing 

 on the banks of Loch Ness, Scotland, and as a native of the High- 

 lands of Aberdeen and Perthshire, and the hills of Forfarshire. I 

 have gathered it in Devonshire, Somersetshire, Buckinghamshire, 

 Gloucester, Leicester, Warwick, and Worcester. I have also received 

 it from the Lake district, Yorkshire, and Cheshire. It is most abun- 

 dant in North Wales, particularly in Caernarvon, Montgomery, and 



